Purple Scales

Purple seems a little wild for a mermaid's scales.  But what do I know?  It is very interesting to see a combination of colors that you think will never go together, blend in and look lovely.

 Since I just stitched another mermaid by the same designer I checked out the colors in the Mermaid's Purse. I like how her scales look.

 But her colors are much brighter and I don't think they would work for the Big Mermaid.  (the big mermaid looks small here).
I tried stitching two scales and decided that the center color, a very light purple, was not going to work.  It looked white.  So I put in a darker purple. I think I can live with this combination.

I worked on the lower right corner just to see how the grass colors looked.  (bad photo, sorry)

I have most of the bottom of the Off With Her Head bag in.  My goal today is to finish off the Queen Of Hearts dress so that all I have left is the background design.

Here you can see how much bigger this bag is going to be compared to the Mermaid Purse.

My tour is officially called the UK Casket Tour 2015.  We start off in Edinburgh.  I have spent too much time checking out places to see and have tea in Edinburgh.  I didn't know that JK Rowling wrote the first  Harry Potter book at the Elephant House cafe in Edinburgh.  Cool.  This will be so fun!! 12 days.
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Progress

I worked a bit on Harmony.  I had three rows done and I did another three rows.

 It is starting to look like something now.  The upper flower will be on Harmony's bodice.

  The flowers at the bottom are her underskirt.

It is starting to take shape.  I have to start another silver thread.  So far it is going well.

I also worked on Off With Her Head.  I'm off a thread here and there but it won't make any difference.  I have almost all of the three figures in.

The background is a flower design.  So I would guess I'm over half done.  It is fun to work on and it is hard to put down.

I've been getting ready to go on The Tour.  Lots of things to take care (letting my credit card company know I'll be using my card in a foreign country) of and buy (I'm a proud new owner of a money belt thingie).  13 days.
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You Can't Buy Momentum

I worked on four different projects yesterday.  Each one had a little problem to be worked out.

I decided to put in a few more stitches and hopefully finish off a motif on the Quaker Bag.  I found the Gloriana Pacific Blue and threaded up my needle.  Then I realized that wasn't the color I needed.  I had decided to use leftover threads from a BrightNeedle project for the Quaker Bag.  "Leftover" isn't really correct because I haven't finish this particular BrightNeedle Ladies Collection kit.  But there looked to be way more threads than I would need.  I also have the numbers of the silk so if I run out, I can get some more.  So then I had to find that thread card.  Then I had to find the instructions and the charts.  No wonder I haven't worked on this for a while.  But when I started stitching and it went very well.  I finished the motif I was working on.  Yeah!  Then I went on to a couple more motifs.  I started the backstitching around the edge.  I think I could really stitch this thing!  I will be very encouraged after I get this main piece done.  I so admire Marilyn for getting her Quaker Bag all done.  I'm hoping my color changes look okay.  So far, so good.  I've got some momentum going.

Then I decided that I didn't like the Big Mermaid's hair.  It looked too stripey.  I tried several colors.  And took them out again.  I settled on Chamomile and 3863 instead of the recommended colors. There is still a lot more to stitch on her hair.

 We'll see how this all works out.  I am filling in the sky.  It would be great to get that one corner filled in.

 Then I could build on that.  I really want to see what one of her scales looks like.  That's my goal for today.

I walked this morning and the weather was perfect.  The bathrooms are clean.  My mental countdown has begun.  Two weeks from today I go on The Tour!  My trip of a lifetime!  I am very excited and a bit scared too.
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Tape Measure Complete!

I finished the tape measure yesterday.  It went pretty well and I learned a lot along the way.  So it's not perfect and the next one I make will be way better than this one.
This is the top:

This is the bottom:

I don't like the color of felt that I chose for the flower.
This is the band, it doesn't look very evenly spaced at places.  I like how the beads were applied (coral stitch).

A bit wonky.

Then I realized that I forgot something on the Mermaid Purse - the spangles!
So I put them on and cut out the purse shape.

 They add a bit of sparkle.

It will be fun to put this together with the purse frame that hopefully is coming in the mail.
Have a happy Sunday!
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Good Mail

I got the kit and pattern that I ordered off of Etsy yesterday.  What fun!  I wanted to try a small project with wools.  When I went on The Sweet Trip, I bought a couple of quilt patterns that use wool.  But I wanted to see how it went with something small.  So the Etsy order was perfect for that.  Here is what I got:

This is a kit to make a tape measure cover.  I wasn't sure if it included any wool.  It did not but that's okay because I bought a bunch on my trip.

Then I got a pattern for these eggs:

I really liked the bird one.  This is one of three patterns the shop owner offered for felt eggs.  I brt you could adapt the designs for the tape measure cover as well.

You know I just had to start the tape measure cover.  I had to decide what colors to use.  Then I traced the felt shapes on the paper side of the Heatn'Bond Lite.  But, Duh, when you iron the Heatn'Bond onto the felt, guess what?  The lines disappear.  Good grief.  I should have seen that coming.  Then I reread the instructions.  They are a bit confusing since she says to iron on the Heatn'Bond but then adds later that she just bastes the shapes on.  She talks about the assembly before talking about the decorative stitching so I'm not sure of the order she is recommending.  I'll just do it my way and learn as I'm going along.  So I'm still working out how this should be done.  Then I got lazy.  I didn't want to buttonhole stitch the shapes that had been bonded on, I wanted to do the decorative stitching.  So I did.  Then I went back and sewed the shapes on.  A bit backassward.  Anyway, here I am now:

I have a top and a bottom that will be laced to timtex circles.  Then I still have the side band to do.  I think this will be cute.  Sometimes it is just fun to mess around and try stuff.
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A Finish

I finished the stitching on the Mermaid Purse!  Yeah!  Here is a penny to give you some perspective:

I'll have to see if I have some Dupioni silk to put on the back of it and to line it with.  I'm not entirely happy with her hair as I think the color key was out of whack.  I will put it in my mermaid casket when it is all done.  Now compare my finish to the photo on the chart:

I got just a bit done on Off With Her Head.

I hate getting yelled at so this project reminds me that sometimes people have "issues" and get upset and it's not my problem.  DH tells me that if I care what people think, I am their prisoner forever.  Is that from The Art of War?  Whatever.  You can see that Off With Her Head is going to be bigger than the Mermaid Purse:

Now I need to get back to other projects.  I did manage to locate Gloriana Pacific Blue so now I have no excuse not to work on the Quaker Bag.

I think I am going to get something good in the mail today.
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New to Or Nue

Okay, so how is my Or Nue going?  I am cautiously optimistic.  So far, so good.  A commenter said it was easy so I'm encouraged by that.  It is kind of like coloring with a needle and thread.  I am on row three.  I still feel like I haven't quite got the hang of it yet.  In the scheme of things, it is pretty small.

You have to have a bunch of threads going at the same time so it's a bit messy looking.

I think I can actually do this.  The base thread is silver so it has a sparkle to it.  I'll be so impressed with myself when I get this done!

I am working on filling in my Mermaid Purse.  I think I can finish it really soon.

I ordered the metal purse frame for it.

It is Cathy B.'s fault that I ordered a felt kit from Eweniversity on Etsy.  I saw it posted by her on Facebook and it was so cute.  It is a tape measure cover kit.  I'll show you when it comes in the mail.
I can't believe October starts next week.  Where did the month go??  Time flies when you get old.
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Don't Forget the Thistle

I am working on the third of eight panels of Betsy Morgan's Elizabethan Eights box.

I just realized that I forgot to stitch the thistle on the second panel.  I'll have to go back and do that.  My FIL was Scottish and that is a symbol for Scotland.  I had a little stamp made of a thistle when I designed the invitations to my in-laws 50th anniversary party.

Every other panel is bargello.  I wish I had changed the colors just a bit. but I like the finished one I saw on Facebook.

I was determined to get the structure of the fins on the Mermaid's Purse in.  I started on one end and got off.  So I started on the other end, until I got off.  But I went back and fixed both ends and kept at it (all during Dancing with the Stars).  Now I just have to fill in the fins.

 I think there is a mistake in the color key for this.  The "deep peach"  is way lighter than the "peach".

top: peach, bottom: deep peach
So I found a darker color for some of the hair.  We'll see how it all works out.
Today's goal is to find the Gloriana thread Pacific Blue that is somewhere in my sewing room.  I need that color so I can get back to the Quaker Bag.
 Hey, I just saw that there is going to be another Casket Keepsake called "Diligence".  Cool.  I wonder what it will be like?
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Off

I couldn't resist!  I got out the Off With Her Head chart to take a photo for the blog and then I wanted to start it.  It's just blackwork and you don't even have to fill it in.  I got a good chunk done.

Then I filled in half the tail of the Mermaid Purse and some of her hair.

If I worked on this exclusively, I could get it almost done.  I still have to order the purse frame.  I'm trying to save money for the tour in three weeks (!) so I may wait to order it.  We'll see if I have any self control.  Don't hold your breath.

It is the last day of summer!  I don't want summer to be over with.  It is the loviest day, mild temperatures, the sun is shining.  DH is going to do the semi-annual washing and waxing of his car today.  It is perfect weather for that.  It is also perfect weather for stitching.
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Lutes

I finished Lesson 2 of Amy Mitten's Harmony.  Yeah!

 I am pretty happy with how they turned out.  This walnut lute looks very good.

Harmony's lute is much smaller.  It was challenging to do her hands.  I took a couple of fingers out and tried again.  You aren't going to see those loops at the top and bottom so it will look much better when it is all put together.

At first I didn't like the loops at the end of her fingers.  But after a while, I decided they were her fingernails and were okay.  When you look at them from farther away, they look fine.

Now Lesson Three will be a real challenge.  I'm a bit afraid of it as I have never done Or Nue.  But if anyone can walk me through it, Amy Mitten can.  Knock on wood.

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Two Small Finishes

I have two small finishes to show.  One is a tiny Purple Thread Kit.  I really enjoy these tiny kits the designer puts together.  This one came in a little match box.

There are two designs to choose from.  I decided to do the flower one.

It went together with no trouble.

Then I sewed together the little Frozen purse for Claire.  When I opened the package, I realized that I already had the pattern.

But I love having a kit of all the fabric.  I did manage to mess up the pattern.  You have to cut the outside cover so that when it is folded, you see the head of Elsa or Anna right side up.  I goofed and had to cut it again.  ARGH.  It was an easy stitch and went together with no problem.

 I opted for a button and buttonhole instead of a snap. I want to find some cute things to include in the pockets when I give it to her.
I get to see and talk to Claire today on Facebook.  That is always the highlight of my Sunday.
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